Tag: knitting

Wednesday WIPs and a Surprise Guest

Posted on Posted in knitting, life, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , 15 Comments

I’m making progress on the first sleeve of Knitter’s Dude for Bob.

I am keeping up with the Celtic Mists mystery knitalong.

On Monday we had a surprise visitor to the garden.

I decided to name her Kéya, which is Lakota for turtle. I did some research. It’s nesting season for snappers, so I think she was off to find someplace to lay her eggs.

I offered her a strawberry from the garden, but she wasn’t interested. Once we stopped gawking and went back inside, she booked it to the woods. Turtles can move pretty fast. My last snapping turtle friend won 2nd place in the Stigler, Oklahoma Reunion Days turtle race. I was 10.

Wednesday WIPs

Posted on Posted in knitting, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged 19 Comments

I haven’t been knitting much, but this week I’ve picked it back up again.

I’m caught up on clues for the Celtic Mists mystery knitalong. I need to finish clue 5 before Monday.

I’ve started the Knitter’s Dude cardigan for Bob. This is a cotton acrylic blend, and is a nice summer knit. I hope to have it done in time for Bob’s birthday in September.

How are your WIPs coming along?

Birthday Month YOP Around the Clock

Posted on Posted in field trips, knitting, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 20 Comments

I’ve been having a wonderful birthday month. (A little joke but I mean why not?) I went for tacos, a hike, and to a folk music festival with my kids. Bob and I drove to Oklahoma to visit my Mom and sister. I got to stop over at Bonny’s on the way there. I went to a yarn shop in Oklahoma City with a yarn-bombed bicycle in the window and — yes — bought yarn with birthday money. I even finished knitting a project!

We visited my Mom.
I got to see Bonny and a haunted winery.
I finished Freya’s purple Lodge Sweater. She loves it!

I am keeping up with my Celtic Mists mystery knitalong. The designer makes the clues short and sweet! While I love alpaca’s softness and drape, I normally prefer wool for elasticity. But the way this yarn is spun keeps it springy. I love working with it!

I started another beanie on the trip with yarnmama’s superwash merino in Damson Plum. Another yarn outlier for me, this superwash is lofty and buoyant. I’m a fan! And the color is royal.

No frogs have shown up in my pond this year, but never mind. My sister gifted one to me for my birthday. We call him Okie.

April Year of Projects

Posted on Posted in books, gardening, knitting, music, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 8 Comments

Knitting

I’m nearing the shoulder seams on Freya’s purple Lodge sweater. This is pretty much the only thing I’ve been knitting on. I need to start Bob’s Knitter’s Dude soon, so I can work on it over the summer. It’s cotton and acrylic yarn, so should be nice to work on in warmer weather, and it will hopefully be done in time for his birthday in September.

Sewing

Sometimes I leave notes for myself.

I’ve cut out a second pair of Casual Cotton pants in navy stretch cotton twill. I omitted the seam allowances. I’m hoping to get some sewing time on them today. Will they fit? Who knows? I’m wearing my gray ones today even though they are too big. They are super comfy. I was hoping to be able to sew some shorts with the remnants, but I don’t have enough fabric for that.

Gardening

My seedlings are looking good, though a few have given up the ghost. I’ve enjoyed mustard, kale, and daikon radish greens as I thin them out. The peas are up!

The Chinese Celery Cabbage (like Napa Cabbage) does not like the hot sun. I suspect the growing season will be short for them. I may try to plant them in the shade of the cucumbers to extend their time in the garden, but I’ve already planted lettuce there, so we’ll see.

I saw cabbage moths today, but I’m way ahead of them. I covered the greens with netting last week. Foiled!

I’ve been spending a lot of time clearing the woods in front of our house of invasive honeysuckle and black walnut saplings. The apple trees are blooming!

Reading

This month I read The Orkney Scroll by Lyn Hamilton. I decided I needed to read a cozy located in Orkney. This book fit the bill. It was fine. I was glad when it was over. There were some redundancies. It was as if her editor told her she should write a chapter at the end explaining everything that had happened.

Here is the song I’m currently listening to on repeat:

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

HeadKnits is now Snakes & Cranes

Posted on Posted in life, what makes me tickTagged , , , , , 20 Comments

Since there has been a little confusion, I thought I would write a post about the name change so I don’t accidentally lose anyone. I’ve decided on Snakes and Cranes because these are animals I feel a kinship with, and what they represent.

Psychology Today says, “…snakes are close to the ground and shed their skins, making them symbols of the nourishing earth, the underworld, rebirth, immortality and creativity—and, by extension, of culture and wisdom.” We saw a snake in the yard a day or so after I decided on the name change, and it was the first we’d seen after living here for three years. I felt like it was a sign. And, as you may know, my garden path is a winding snake of stones.

Cranes symbolize luck, grace, balance, loyalty, longevity, and transformation. I once had a dream I was a flying crane, and I’ve been fascinated by them ever since. Here’s a great post by World Birds on Crane symbolism.

My choice of this title is an effort to be true to myself and my voice. (My word for 2023 is “voice.”) I have had some feedback that this name does not reflect knitting or fiber arts, and I appreciate the feedback. However, this is not just a knitting blog. It’s a personal blog that features a lot of knitting, but also sewing, gardening, baking, sustainability, nature, books, movies, history, the paranormal, life — basically whatever I feel like blogging about. I also follow many knitting and fiber art blogs that don’t include the topic in the title, so I don’t feel beholden to that convention.

Most importantly, I need this to be a place where I want to spend time writing and sharing my thoughts. HeadKnits wasn’t that place anymore. I’d like to think my head is now blocked and seamed with the ends woven in — ready to wear! Even so, the wisdom of the snake tells us it’s a never ending cycle, so please don’t mind me while I shed my skin. And I hope you’ll stick around! I am really grateful for the community of bloggers I’ve met here.

Just for fun, here are some other names I considered:

  • Okie in Ohio
  • Big Al the Bird
  • 3AM Reckoning
  • 4 Acre Wood
  • Yellow House Homestead

I hope you have a lovely Saturday planned! I have a guild meeting, then Bob and I are going to see Renfield at one of our favorite theaters.

Sunday Sunday 🎵 Bah-da Bah-da-da-da 🎶 a YOP Update

Posted on Posted in knitting, sewing, sweaters, Works in Progress (WIPs), Year of ProjectsTagged , , 22 Comments

Knitting

I’ve made progress this week on Powdermill. I’m enjoying this knit. Nothing like straightforward, repetitive colorwork to keep you going. (I’m giving Arrowhead side-eye.) Also, this yarn is scrumptious. I’m glad I have a stash full of it!

I’m also up to 12 inches on the body of the purple Lodge Sweater. It’s my mindless knitting. However, spring is coming, and I’m starting to shift my focus to sewing.

Sewing

Ottobre Casual Cotton Pants

This week I finished sewing my Ottobre casual cotton pants. I can’t wait to wear them. It’s still too cold for this cotton twill, which is a medium weight. I’m planning to sew another pair in navy stretch twill, and then Simplicity s9376 in black brushed cotton twill.

The new Ottobre has a lovely summer top pattern, and it only takes 1.5 yards for my size. I have some cotton prints in mind for this from stash. The polka dot was a gift from BonnyKnits, and the batiks are fair trade from Global Mamas in Ghana.

I continue to alter my sewing plan (see what I did there?) as I assess my wardrobe needs.

Spinning

I finished spinning my Pumpkins for Sale BFL fiber. This was my first time chain plying, and I enjoyed it. My spinning is getting more even, but I still have a long way to go.

It looks good with the yarn I spun from the same fiber, and dyed orange. (I was exhausting a dye bath.) These plus one more color will knit up a nice Shift cowl in the fall. I have more BFL fiber in stash to spin. What color should I dye it to go with these? Maybe russet, or olive green? I’d like the cowl to be made completely from hand spun. Let me know your opinions on the color in the comments.

DIY Hair Care

I thought I was on the right track with my homemade hair care products. But after a few weeks, my hair started feeling like straw. I’m back to purchasing products. Maybe if I get a good crop of soapwort this year, I can try again with that.

Gardening

It’s still too cold to start seeds or plant peas. I hope it warms up soon!

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Another One Posts a YOP

Posted on Posted in knitting, movies, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 11 Comments

Sewing

I’ve got a good start on my Casual Cotton Pants. Right now I’m waiting on a matching zipper to arrive to sew the fly. I had a gray zipper that was too light, and a black zipper that was too dark. I could have tried to make do, but zippers are under $2 and I know I will use those other zippers some day. Normally I serge the seams, but in the interest of being able to alter these should I lose any more weight, I decided to serge the edges of the waistband pieces and stitch them together. They will be easier to unpick that way.

Knitting

Clue 3 dropped on Who Ya Gonna Shawl? but I’m still knitting Clue 1. I love these colors together. I’m not sure I’m knitting the stitches correctly, and they don’t look like the spoiler pic. It may be because I chose a dark contrast color instead of a light one. Ultimately, I don’t think it really matters. Ghosts or Galaga? Who cares, right? I’ll keep working on this as the mood strikes. I honestly don’t know how people keep up with mystery knitalongs like this. There are some fast knitters out there!

I’m a little down on knitting right now. After finishing Arrowhead (which I ironically call “my opus” to myself) I guess I need a little break. I’ve been thinking about picking up a long languishing project, or even casting on something new from stash. Or, I might spin for a while.

Have a great week, YOPpers! Sorry not sorry about the title. Bob and I watched Weird: the Al Yankovic Story last week and I can’t stop thinking about it.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

TGIF: Thank God It’s Finished, a YOP Update

Posted on Posted in knitting, sweaters, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 30 Comments

Knitting

Well I finally did it. Arrowhead is done! Two… Years… Later. (Two and a half, actually.)

Pattern is Arrowhead Cardigan by Anna Cohen. Yarn is Istex Lettlopi in Chocolate Heather and Glacier Blue Heather.

Sizing: it is slightly too large. The sleeves are too long. But since it is a jacket, and I’m short, I did modify it to fit me better. I thought about ripping out the cuffs and a couple of inches of knitting on the sleeves, and then reknitting the cuffs. But I have noticed my sweaters start to felt when I spin them in the washer to get the excess water out. If this starts to felt, I’d like a little leeway in the sizing. My Ranunculus arms are bracelet length now, which I’m not crazy about. I’m always pulling on them. So I think I’ll leave this as is. It’s cozy.

I’m pleased with this facing technique. Instead of covering the steek edges with ribbon, you pick up stitches and knit stockinette a few rows to cover it, then sew it down. I will be using this technique in the future, for sure. Overall, I’m surprised I didn’t make any mistakes. I did have a few errors, but was able to fix them. I may enter it in the State Fair.

And can I take a moment to sing the praises of Icelandic wool? It’s lightweight, warm, and surprisingly soft. No, you wouldn’t want to wear it next to the skin. But over a shirt, it’s great!

Sewing

I applied for a second part-time job last week, and even though I don’t know if I will get it or not, I’ve realized I need some business casual wear. I think I should get on those Audrey Pants in brushed black cotton. If they turn out well, I can sew another pair in gray cotton twill.

Reading

I finished Keeper of the Queen’s Jewels. I liked it. I gave it four stars on Goodreads. I’m on track to finish 12 books this year, which is a hilarious goal. I do have other books partially read as well, if I can bother to finish them.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Year of Projects: Week 9

Posted on Posted in knitting, sewing, sweaters, Year of ProjectsTagged , , 23 Comments

Sewing

This week I sewed an outfit from lightweight merino wool jersey. I got this fabric for a great price on Etsy. I think the seller was clearing out the 100% merino, or maybe because it’s lightweight. Anyway, I knew I wanted some black wool wide-legged pants for spring. I only needed two yards for that, and I still eked out a Tekura Tee to match. The pants are from the Ottobre PJ pants pattern. I think one leg may be just a skosh longer than the other, but I’m not sure I care enough to do anything about it.

A few new sewing patterns have caught my eye, and I’ve updated my project list with them. I’m also losing weight (not intentionally, just happening from medication and diet changes) so I’m pushing back any tailored pant sewing until my weight levels out. But I’m already excited about sewing new linen garments from my stash.

Knitting

I’ve finished knitting the sleeves on Arrowhead. I’m ready to knit the armhole facings, and then I can pick up and knit the collar. After that, just the collar facing to go! I can’t believe I’m nearing the finish line on this project.

Other than that, I’ve started The Who Ya Gonna Shawl knitalong, and am nearing the end of the hem ribbing on Freya’s Lodge Sweater.

DIY Hair Products

My homemade shampoo is working great. It’s a simple recipe of water, Castile soap, and argan oil. The conditioner is also working, but I think I may be able to skip this step and simply use a little argan oil on my hair after towel drying, at least while it’s this short. I may also experiment with an herbal hair rinse, possibly with marshmallow root since it’s emollient. (Cue to me looking in the garden for someplace to grow marshmallow. I’ve always loved the look of the plant. Now I have a reason.)

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

WIP Wednesday

Posted on Posted in knitting, sweaters, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , , 21 Comments

I’ve primarily been focusing on my Arrowhead cardigan. I’ve steeked the front, and am close to the cuff on the sleeves. After that, there will only be finishing left to do! I expect that will take me a week or two, as there are facings in addition to cuff and neckline ribbing to knit. I am really looking forward to finishing and wearing this cardi!